empower silicon valley

$20,000 in Scholarship Prizes Awarded to Students in EmPower Silicon Valley Short Film Competition

High schoolers share stories and solutions about a clean energy future

Sunnyvale, Calif. – Local students have been recognized by Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) with $20,000 in scholarship prizes for the second year of the EmPower Silicon Valley Youth Short Film Competition. Through the competition, high school students showcased a variety of clean energy futures and solutions that will help us fight climate change.

Exploring ideas ranging from harnessing energy from sound to the end of car dependency, competition participants showcased their creativity and storytelling skills through animation, documentaries, and narrative film.

Four exemplary submissions were awarded $3,000 scholarship prizes. These short films received distinctions for their effective messaging and artistic delivery.

  • Energy Impact Award: A Future Without Car Dependency by Xinpei Lu from Cupertino High School
  • Energy Innovation Award: Acoustic Energy by Hernan Maldonado and Abhik Das from Monta Vista High School
  • Creative Presentation Award: For the Sake of the Planet by Alyssa Hwang from Cupertino High School
  • Community Engagement Award: Putting Out the Global Fire by Elise Chiu and Nishika Gorla from Monta Vista High School

Additionally, Honorable Mention awards of $2,000 each were awarded to the following short films:

  • Monarch Butterfly Effect by Maia Shama, Kai Otsuka, and George Hu from Saratoga High School
  • The Silicon Green Vision by Seeun Kim from Fremont High School and Ava Mineishi from Branham High School
  • Silicon Valley’s Clean Future by Om Shastri, Julio Casal, and Macha Karpov from Los Gatos High School
  • Silicon Valley: A (Clean Energy) Future Worth Investing In by Ben Richardson from Monta Vista High School and Christopher Li and Emily Chen from Lynbrook High School

“We were impressed by the ingenuity and diversity of the submitted films. Representing the next generation, youth make up a core component of the SVCE mission to combat climate change and ensure a clean energy future. The students’ visions of this future were inspiring and uplifting,” said Girish Balachandran, SVCE CEO.

The short films were judged by a panel of SVCE board members, youth, community leaders, and film industry professionals.

The EmPower Silicon Valley Short Film Competition is a part of the SVCE education initiatives designed to support and engage youth in our community.

View the winning short films at SVCleanEnergy.org/Empower-SV.

###

About Silicon Valley Clean Energy
Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit, community-owned agency providing clean electricity from renewable and carbon-free sources to more than 270,000 residential and commercial customers in 13 Santa Clara County jurisdictions. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Silicon Valley Clean Energy is advancing innovative solutions to fight climate change by decarbonizing the grid, transportation, and buildings. Learn more at SVCleanEnergy.org.

Media Contact
Michaela Pippin, Communications Specialist
O: 408-721-5301 x1020
Michaela.pippin@svcleanenergy.org